Gas-meter.



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y GAS METER.

, (Application led Feb. 4, 1902.)

2 sheets-sheet (No Model.)

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G A S M E T E R.

(Application illed Feb. 4,` 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ATTORNEY ne: nunm mns co. mora-uma., wAsmNsroN, n. c.

UNITED VSTATES `ATENT Orricn.

EDWIN R. ELLS'WOR'IH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO LOUIS A. STEDMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW" YORK.

GAS-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,026, dated May 13, 1902.

Applicant inea February 4,1902. sentira. 92.515. (no modelo l To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWINRJELLSWORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county oftKings, and city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas- Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of meters for measuring gas consumed, but has nothing to do directly with the special measuring devices or means commonly found-in such meters. Indeed, it is vapplicable to any of the known forms of meters.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction of the meter which will permit the water or other liquids of condensation from the gas in the pipes which serve a building to'flow back through the meter and out to themain in the street, where it may be removed-by the usual means employed for getting rid ofproducts of condensation. As ordinarily constructed, so'far as I-am aware,`

the gas-meter serves as a' trap to intercept the condensation from the house service-pipes, and this liquid, added tothat 'arising from condensation in the meter itself, interferes in many ways, only too well known, with vthe proper supply of gas. When the liquids 'of condensation accumulate in lthe meter, `it

must be'disconnected and emptied at considerable trouble and expense.

The meter which forms the object of the present application is'so constructedthat it permits, controls, and measures the iiowV of gas to the house service-pipes and 'at the same time permits-the'iiow'of all liquids from condensation vbackthrough -the same conduits in the meter in a direction opposite -to that of the iow of gas. l

The leading and` characteristic features of the invention are the continuous downward inclination of the gas-conduits of the meter fro-m the outlet to the inlet and the arrangement of-the controlling-valves and gas-distributing conduits below the levelof the diaphragms and their chambers, so that all liquids from condensation will drain away from said chambers into the gas-inlet of themeter without forming a trap or seal at the valves.

In the accompanying drawings, lwhich illuspartition 3.

trate an embodiment of the present invention in a meter otherwise of a known construction, Figure l is a rear View of the meter with the vback plate removed to show the interior.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially at line co2 in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional plan substantiallyat line ac3 in Fig. 1- that is to say, aplan'with` only the top plate removed. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section sub-l stantially at line :c4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view illustrating the construcy tion and arrangement of the valves and valveseats seen in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing the relation of the gas-inlet to the controlling-valves.

1 designates the sheet-metal casing of a dry gas-meter, 2 a horizontal partition which parts off a chamber A above vcontaining the gearing, and 3 a vertical'partitiondividing the main chamber of the casing below. 4 4 are the two diaphragms, andB -C are-the respective inner and outer diaphragm-chambers. The inner'chambers'are incl'ojsed by the usual flexible fabric 5, each'secured to a diaphragm and toA anange on the separating- The respective diaphragme are coupled at their centers by arms 6 to upright rock-shafts '7,which vextend up through packed bearings into the gearing-chamber A', where they are coupled-by arms 8 and links 9 to a crank 10 on a crank-shaft 11.v On this shaft is a worm 12 in gear with a pinion 13on the shaft 14, which drives the gearing of the counter or meter proper, 15. All of this mechanism is well known in Vmeters and will require no further description. In the ordinary meter'the valves which control the flow of'gas through the' meter "arel simple slidevalves situated in achamberwithin the chamber A, and the gas must'low up to thischam: ber and back again, as the valves'are situated above the diaphragm-chambers.

In the presentconstruction, 16 is the gas- IOO exhaust-port between them. On these valveseats are set slide-valves 19. Each of these valves is coupled by a link 2O to a crank in an upright rotatable shaft 21, which extends up through the gas-chamber D and through packed bearings into the chamber A above, where it carries a pinion 22 in gear with an intermediate wheel 23, which latter is in gear at the opposite side with a pinion 24E on the crank-shaft 1l. Thus rotation of the lastnamed shaft by the diaphragms imparts the proper reciprocating movement to the valves 19, and the latter control the flow 0f gas to and its exhaust from the diaphragm-chambers of the meter. The valve-seats are placed incliued, so that any liquid reaching the ports therein from the outlet of the meter will flow back through said ports into the bottom of the valve and gas chamber D and thence to the gas-inlet 16, which descends from the gaschamber D, so as to carry away any liquid therefrom, and thus form a drainage-conduit leading to the street-main-that is to say, the ported valve-seat is so disposed as to be out of a horizontal plane, so that the ports therein will be lower at one side than the other.

From the intermediate exhaust-portof each valve-seat a conduit 25 leads t0 the gas-outlet 17, and from the respective inlet or outer ports in the valve-seat conduits 26 and 26 lead to the respective inner and outer diaphragm-chambers B and C. These conduits are situated below the level of the diaphragmchambers, and the valve-controlled ports are also situated belowr said level, so that while the gas may iiow from the inlet 16 through the chambers of the meter and said conduits to the outlet 17 the liquid condensed in the house-pipes will iiow from the outlet 17 back through the same conduits to the ports in the valve-seats, thence to the gas-chamber D, thence to the inlet 16, and thence to the street. It will be noted especially by reference to Fig. 6 that the ports in the valve-seat have their lower margins below the level of the axes of the conduits they control and above the level of the lower margin of the aperture through which the gas enters the gas-chamber. This construction effectually prevents the sealing and clogging up of the ports and passages in the meter with liquid and also provides for the carrying away of such liquid to a point where it may be conveniently removed without disturbing the meter.

Being the first, as I believe, to construct and place the conduits and valves of a gas-meter in such a manner that the liquids from condensation in the house service-pipes will ilow back through the meter and by way of the same conduits and ports through which the gas iiows in the opposite direction and without forming a liquid seal at the valves, I do not limit myself to the specific for-m, construetion, and arrangement of these features, as herein shown, as they may be varied considerably without departing in any material degree from my invention. The conduits 25,

26, and 26 must be disposed in such a manner as to cause all liquids from condensation to flow from the gas-outlet 17 to the gas-inlet 16. This inlet will be so arranged that the gas liows upward to the meter, and the outlet 17 will be so arranged that the gas flows upward on leaving the meter, so that all liquid drainage will ow back from the gas-outlet to the gas-inlet. The meter illustrated shows the usual double construction-that is, provided with two diaphragms and two controlling-valves-but as these are mere duplicates my invention is embodied in each of them.

I do not broadly claim disposing the controlling-valves at the bottom or lower part of the meter-easing, as this has been done, but so far as I am aware only in such a manner that they can be sealed by liquid collecting in the house service-pipe. In my construction no liquid can collect at the valves to seal them, for the reason that the valve-seat is in a plane at an angle to the horizon when the meter rests upon its base.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A gas-meter having a valve for controlling the flow of gas through the meter, aported seat for the latter, said seat being set with its face out of a horizontal plane, and inlet and outlet gas-passages communicating with the ports in said seat, the inlet-aperture for the gas being disposed below the outlet-aperture for the gas, whereby the liquid of condensation will flow through the ports and by the valve from the outlet to the inlet without sealing the valve.

2. A gas-meter having a gas-chamber which extends below the diaphragm-chambers of the meter, valves at the lower part of said gaschamber, ported valve-seats for said valves, said seats having their faces at an angle to a horizontal plane, an inlet for the gas opening into the gas-chamber below the level of the valve-controlled ports, and gas-outlets disposed above said ports in a manner to prevent the sealing of the valves by the accumulation of water of condensation about the same.

3. A gas-meter having its gas-inlet at a point below its diaphragm-chambers, a gaschamber receiving gas from said inlet, inclined and ported valve-seats in said chamber and below the diaphragm-chambers, slidevalves on said seats, mechanism for operating said valves for controlling the flow of gas through the meter, and conduitsleading from the ports in the valve-seats to the gas-outlet of the meter and to the respective diaphragmchambers, said conduits being below the said chambers,

4. A gas-meter having a diaphragm and diaphragm-chambers for measuring the gas, a gas-chamber the bottom of which is below the bottom of the diaphragm-chambers,- an inlet for gas to the gas-chamber, outlets for gas from said chamber, said outlets being dis- 'IIC posed above the level of the inlet so that liqmy name,this 3d day of February, 1902, in the uid may 110W from the former down to the latpresence of two subscribing Witnesses. ter without sealing the passage from one to the other, a valve controlling said outlets, and 5 mechanism between the Valve and diaphragm Witnesses:

whereby the latter actuates the former. HENRY CONNETT, In witness whereof I have hereunto signed PETER A. Ross.

EDWIN R. ELLSWORTH. 

